The second instalment of the phenomenally popular vampire romance series Twilight: New Moon is released this month.

The first film in the series has already made stars of lead actors Robert Pattinson and Kristin Stewart, but if you are wondering what all the fuss is about, here's everything you need to know about the smash hit series...

1. The first film, Twilight, was released in 2008 and is based on the novel of the same name by American author Stephanie Meyer.

2. The idea for the book came to Meyer in a dream, where a vampire was in love with a human girl but also thirsted for her blood. It took her only three months from having the dream on 2 June 2003 to completing the first novel. Watch Stephanie Meyer talking about the series below

3. Romantic interest Edward Cullen, played by Pattinson in the film series, was turned into a vampire aged 17 to prevent him dying from flu. Meyer drew on classic leading men Edward Rochester (Jane Eyre), Mr D'arcy (Pride and Prejudice) and Gilbert Blythe (Anne of Green Gables) when creating the character.

4. Officially there are four Twilight books : Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. Midnight Sun was to be the fifth novel in the series and would have retold events from Edward’s perspective but was abandoned by Meyer when 12 chapters of the book were leaked on the internet. Read the partially completed manuscript here

5. The first novel was released in 2005 and the four books have won multiple awards, most notably Breaking Dawn picked up the 2008 British Book Award for Children's Book of the Year.

6. Twilight the movie has taken more than £235million at the box office worldwide.

7. Speculation has been rife over the relationship between Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, who plays girlfriend Bella in the Twilight series, although both strongly deny romance rumours.

8. Meyer had a cameo role in the first film, appearing in a diner scene in the middle of the film:

9. Filming for the adaptation of the third novel Eclipse began in August 2009. See the production crew setting up for filming below.

10. Major film studios Paramount, who originally bought a three year option on the rights, and Fox Atomic both passed up the opportunity to bring Twilight to the big screen. It was finally brought to cinemas by lesser-known company Summit Entertainment, breaking it into the big time.